Calf Work.. Weights or Not?

Lynn M.

Lynn M.

Cathlete
Hi there-

I've decided my new focus these next 4-6 weeks is to increase definition in my calves. While I don't have "cankles", I would like to see a more pronounced development.

A couple of people I've talked to at my gym say that to get the best calf definition, you should not do weighted work, go higher rep, no weight. And these are people who for their other bodyparts lift heavy and low reps.

Admittedly, I don't do much calf work when I train my legs.. maybe a couple of sets of weighted calf work on a calf machine or doing some calf raises w/ dumbbells off a step, but not more than that. Should I do 2 or 3 different calf exercises in addition to my leg work?

For those of you who have great definition in your calves, what's your routine? Also, do you find that doing more step training or running has helped you?

Thanks in advance, Lynn M.
 
Definition in my calves is not something I have ever sought. It just is. It's a product of doing cardio and walking around. Both running and step work the calves hard, but differently. When I run, I never feel anything in my calves. When I do step, I get DOMS in the calves the next day. Since the calf muscles get taken care of so well through cardio, I have never included them as a muscle group, and when Cathe works them, I don't bother. More than any other muscle group, I really do think that clafd muscle shape and size is a result of genetics.

But, of the solutions you mention, I'd try out high reps, low weight first, plus step once a week.

Clare
 
I have always wished I had any defintion in my calves. But then again, I do not have the amount of defintion in any of my muscles that one would assume I would with the amount of weight training I do. It's just my genes, I guess. I both run and do a lot of step and though I may get DOMS for a bit when I haven't done either for a while, neither have given me more defind calves. The most DOMS I've ever gotten is doing the calf raises in Meso 2 with heavy weight. Maybe I gained a little bit of muscle definition, but nothing really noticable! Good luck on your quest!

Aimee

P.S. My husband as the most amazing calf muscles I've ever seen on either a woman or a man...and he sadly does not work out! He does, however "walk on his toes." He says he does this because as a kid, his parents kept the house very cool and since he hates wearing shoes or socks, it kept his feet off the cold floor! Might be worth a shot walking around like that for a while. But, I've noticed our younger daughter has his calf muscles and she does not walk like that....
 
I was born with cankles :eek: and breaking my ankle years ago didn't help. 4 or 5 years ago, I started doing weighted calf raises on a bench doing group exercise classes. These really started to define my calves better and when I started running, they just got better. Now I mostly run and only do calf work if it happens to be in the DVD that I'm using.

There is definitely a genetic component but weighted calf raises and cardio will definitely help. It took several months of calf raises before I started to notice a difference so I do think they respond a little more slowly than some other muscle groups do.
Good luck!
Lisa
 
I believe mine have gotten more defined since I started running more - especially on an incline. I usually do a variety of cardio including one or two step workouts per week and usually a run somewhere in there.

ITA with the Meso 2 calf work - if you don't have STS, I'm not sure Cathe has a video on the calf work or not, but the exercise I like the best is a total killer !

Stand on your step top holding onto something with one hand (Cathe uses the back of a chair - I face my treadmill) while holding about a 10lb DB next to the leg you are going to work.

One leg works while the other is bent behind you, now do calf raises extending the hell below the step for each rep: 20 slow then 20 fast. Switch legs and repeat. Then repeat the round one or two times. You will definitely feel this one ! :D
 
I have noticed that doing more step workouts with the step 6-8 inches really makes a difference! I hardly do calf work, only when Cathe does it on legs and glutes, or PUB.

Also, wear heels more often! That really helps! haha ;)
 
I've heard and read that the calf muscle group is the absolute hardest to add mass and definition; I have no idea why that is so.

For the truly fearless, here is a suggested exercise:

Stand right in front of a table that comes up to the hip joint, and lay your entire upper body, bending 90 degrees from the hip joint, on top of the table. Then have a whole human being stand behind you, and have that human being lay directly over you so that his/her upper body down to the hip joint covers your entire backside, and have that human being wrap his/her arms around your torso. THEN, perform two-foot calf raises, as many as you can do to failure (shouldn't take that long). I read about that one in a fitness magazine for men.

Good luck!

A-Jock
 
Aquajock said:
I've heard and read that the calf muscle group is the absolute hardest to add mass and definition; I have no idea why that is so.

For the truly fearless, here is a suggested exercise:

Stand right in front of a table that comes up to the hip joint, and lay your entire upper body, bending 90 degrees from the hip joint, on top of the table. Then have a whole human being stand behind you, and have that human being lay directly over you so that his/her upper body down to the hip joint covers your entire backside, and have that human being wrap his/her arms around your torso. THEN, perform two-foot calf raises, as many as you can do to failure (shouldn't take that long). I read about that one in a fitness magazine for men.

Good luck!

A-Jock
Click to expand...


That sounded fun til you got to the part about the calf raises!:p I can see it now "honey, can you help me?" Yup, we'd get real far!:p:eek::p

Nan
 
All the people I know with great calves either a) inherited them b) are runners or dancers c) a combo of a & b. I wouldn't specifically weight train calves unless they were either super scrawny, or you were involved in a sport which required them to be specifically strong.
 
Whenever Cathe has calf work in a workout I always hold at least 40 lbs. I have been trying to up it to 50 lbs lately. I have always wondered why she doesn't use weight when working her calves. STS she uses weight though, right?
 
I do calf raises on the donkey-machine w/my leg routine--3 sets 15.

I wouldn't say I have great definition, but I have pretty good proportion. Frankly, I think it has nothing to do w/calve raises. I think it's b/c I wear high heels every day & they keep my calves flexed whenever I'm not sitting. Did you ever notice how much stronger most women's calves are than men's? At the gym I use pretty much the same weight as the guys do. :)
 
try a ballet workout

I put on serious calf (calve?:confused:) muscle when I was doing ballet in junior high. But, I do put on muscle easily too so that might be a factor. It may depend on how much you weigh. Most women don't want big legs/calves and tend to avoid weighted exercise for that part of the body. I was heavey in junior high (ok about 12 pounds lighter than I am now, but you get the idea) and I guess it depends on how much you weigh whether or not you need weights to create definition there. I bet you could do it with a weighted vest. I also got some definition sprinting up hill, basically running on the ball of my foot up very steep hills. I don't know if that would work for you.
 
RapidBreath said:
I put on serious calf (calve?:confused:) muscle when I was doing ballet in junior high.
Click to expand...

Similar experience. Genetically speaking, I have pretty good calves to begin with, but I was on a dance/drill team throughout high school and got some really nice development...all those hours of high kicks.

I'm pretty ambivalent about weighted calf work at this point. The thing that I find really hits 'em hard for me is jumping rope.
 
I'm a few days behind on getting to the forum..sorry to have not replied earlier!

Thanks for all of the replies/comments about calf work. Aquajock.. that calf exercise sounds wicked... better like your spotter when executing the move:)

Today was leg day so I decided to go high rep/no weight for my calf work. I did a ton of calf raises on about 30 steps.. 10 reps each. My calves were screaming, in a good way of course!!

I'm going to try this for about a month and see what kind of results I get. I do run 3x/week so maybe between that, some high heel shoes ( idea courtesy of Laura Max!!) I can get some nice looking gams!

Take care, Lynn M
 
Lyn:

I just read something yesterday in Fitness mag that puts a new spin on the whole calf work issue.

Apparently we should all definitely do calf work because it helps strengthen the ACL which begins to thin after our 40's. Damn! Guess I'd better get to it then!!

Clare
 
Thanks for the info Clare... I hit 42 last month, so this definitely applies to me too!!

Take care, Lynn M.
 
I don't remember if I always had calf muscles, but I have to agree with RapidBreath that a ballet class definitely helps. After 7 years of them, I have great calf muscles and don't feel the need to work them that much. All those releves and staying on your toes definitely works.

Marcy
 
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